Complete List of Nobel Peace Prize Winners (1901-2025)

Since 1901, the Nobel Peace Prize, one of the world's leading awards has been awarded every year to individuals and organizations for their exceptional efforts towards peace, conflict resolution, and advancement of human rights. Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the award via his will in recognition of actions that evoke humanity towards peaceful and unviolent living. 

Although there have been many laureates over the years, they include world leaders, activists, humanitarian organizations, and dreamers: Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa, Malala Yousafzai, and as recently as the United Nations. Each laureate is reflective of a special commitment to justice and empathy. The following is a complete list of winners of the Nobel Peace Prize from 1901-2024 on account of their lasting influence on peace around the globe.

Check Out: List of Top 10 Famous American Nobel Prize Winners and Their Achievements

Who Won the Nobel Peace Prize 2025? 

In 2025, María Corina Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize. She was commended for her resolute public stances for democracy, human rights, and non-violent political change in Venezuela. As a leading figure in the opposition, she has taken unyielding positions against authoritarianism in Venezuela, inspired millions on behalf of free elections, and believed in justice and civil liberties.

Although she has been persecuted and, at times, denied due process, María Corina Machado has remained unwavering in her aim to restore democratic institutions and serve her fellow citizens. Her award from the Nobel Committee is an international acknowledgment of the importance of peaceful resistance in combating unjust political oppression and the durability of democratic values in the public sphere.

List of Nobel Peace Prize Winners (1901-2025)

Here is the complete list of Nobel Peace Prize Winners from the year 1901 to 2025, along with their contributions, which helped them land the award: 

Top 5 Greatest Nobel Peace Prize Winners

Here are the top 5 Greatest Nobel Peace Prize Winners, marked by their great work and effort towards humanitarian work and contribution to world peace:

1. Martin Luther King Jr. (1964, USA)

For his role in leading the American Civil Rights Movement using nonviolence and moral leadership, Martin Luther King, Jr., received the Nobel Peace Prize. He dreamt of a world where racial equality was a reality, and his vision has inspired millions of people around the world. King's ethic of peaceful resistance helped diverted social justice movements across the globe and still provide ethical and moral grounding for contemporary mechanisms for equality and human rights.

2. Mother Teresa (1979, India)

Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize for her entire existence devoted to serving the poorest and sickest of people through her Missionaries of Charity. Her servant-style leadership, modesty and humanitarian endeavors in Kolkata reminded the world of poverty, but also dignity and decency. She is also an example of universal love, mercy, and service to humanity inspired by faith.

3. Nelson Mandela (1993, South Africa)

Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership in the non-violent struggle to end apartheid and promote reconciliation in South Africa. After 27 years of imprisonment, Mandela emerged as a symbol of forgiveness and unity, transforming his country through peace, equity and fidelity to human rights and democratic freedoms.

4. Barack Obama (2009, USA)

Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his vision for a world in which international diplomacy and cooperation among nations have come to life. The Nobel Committee recognized his efforts, including a commitment to nuclear disarmament and multilateral diplomatic engagement, and dialogue.

The prize itself did not advance the cause of peace or security for our contemporary world, but it was a symbol of hope for a more peaceful world based on unity, mutual respect, and understanding among peoples.

5. Malala Yousafzai (2014, Pakistan)

Malala Yousafzai became the youngest Nobel laureate for her advocacy for girls' education, first in Pakistan then globally. After being shot in the head by the Taliban while on a school bus, Yousafzai not only survived, but also strengthened her advocacy efforts to end the unlawful discrimination of girls' learning opportunities.

Today, her courage of conviction and activism style make her a sustainable, recognizable voice for children, their rights, empowerment, and education across the globe.

Conclusion

The Nobel Peace Prize is a perpetual emblem of mankind's quest for compassion, justice, and the possibility of a world at peace. From Martin Luther King Jr.'s struggle for civil rights to Malala Yousafzai's fight for education, every laureate, in his or her own way, reminds us that peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but the presence of dignity, equal rights, and hope.

All embodied courage, conviction, and selfless service which, also urged and convinced future generations to make the choice to act with kindness and resolve. As one continent or challenge fades away, another emerges, and the legacy of Nobel Peace Prize winners once again shines an important light, to encourage peoples and nations to choose to work towards peace and togetherness.